Heritage: The Path
by ladyasile
Summary: Kurama, a healer, is entrusted with helping Hiei heal from an unknown illness by Hiei's fiancee, Keiko. In a world where demons wreak havoc nightly, can Kurama overcome his past, help his assistant Yusuke, and find love? Yaoi. HK YusuKeiko and KuwYuk.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hi! Well, this was inspired after I played Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 2 with my sister, then remembering two books, and finally when I was washing my hands the idea formed! I just kept thinking, 'Darn, can Itachi heal himself? It'd be easier!' Well, no, he can't. So then I went on thinking about _Bec _by Darren Shan and _Bless me, Ultima_ by someone else… The good news is that I still defeated my sister! LOL. Oh, and the name came after I read the entire fifth book in the Cirque du Freak series by Darren Shan (in twenty minutes). I just love it! Special thanks to my beta, Brokenshardsofmyheart99! On with the story!

Disclaimer: This will be my only disclaimer for the entire thing. I do not own YYH nor the things I mentioned above!

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Heritage: The Path **

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Nights were hard around the healer's home. Each sunset brought forth demons that threatened to annihilate his assistant and himself. The conflict began when he was much younger, when he lived in the village. After his mother's death, he refused to let anyone else be slaughtered or die from an illness that could have been prevented. He devoted his life to the arts of healing.

"Fuck, they're still coming. I guess yesterday's little brawl didn't get through their shit-filled heads, huh?" asked the raven-haired assistant.

Emerald eyes opened to look at the momentarily deserted outside. The brightly lit fire extinguished in the fireplace without any aid. "They will keep coming, Yusuke. Their wish is to dominate us… And get their half-blooded prisoner back," the young redhead said nonchalantly. His eyes no longer sparkled with the vividness of youth nor hope anymore.

Yusuke lowered his gaze to the wooden floor. "You act as if I'm the cause of this!" he hissed. With clenched fists he looked at his savior.

"No." The young red-haired man stood up and walked over to Yusuke. His gentle-natured hands held his assistant's face lightly. "I rescued you long after I began my fight with them." He removed his hands and placed a kiss on Yusuke's forehead, a gesture of kindness rarely seen by anyone.

The assistant's face turned red. He pushed back his green-eyed friend with a scowl on his face. "Kurama, I'm not going to die. We always fight against them, and I'm always the one to drag your ass back here to heal!"

Kurama looked away from Yusuke. "Forgive me," he uttered without emotion nor meaning the words.

"Damn. You couldn't care less if you died. Sometimes you can be a pain in the ass, you know?"

The redhead nodded, making the once-imprisoned assistant groan for the thousandth time that day.  
"They will be here in thirty seconds. You know what to do." Yusuke ran out of the safety of their humble home and straight for the wilderness. Kurama picked up his bow and several arrows. "May luck and safety befall our enemies…"

Yusuke launched himself at a demon. He grabbed the demon by the head and managed to snap it's neck. Quickly, he noticed a larger demon with reptile-like skin coming at him. The raven smirked and aimed his index finger at the him. "Bang!" he shouted. A spirit energy bullet was released from his finger and collided with the unfortunate demon. "Who's next?" With ease, Yusuke was able to slay every demon in his path. His agility and brute force were definitely the key to his victories. Turning around after killing a she-demon with wings, he noticed his slaying partner aiming and shooting his arrows. "Poor guy. I have this cool power and he only uses arrows. It's a shame that both his parents were humans." The raven-haired youngster grinned and continued his job.

Kurama panted. The demons didn't relinquish at all. It almost seemed as if they sensed his weakness on the full moon, which would not surprise the young healer at all. "I will… Not… LOSE!" he bellowed, releasing another arrow and piercing a demon to it's death. The green-eyed youth knew he was running out of arrows, but kept going further despite that.

The battle soon came to an end as the demons retreated for the night. As predicted, Yusuke carried Kurama back home. He discarded the bow somewhere around the house, laid Kurama down on his bed, and waited incase he was needed. He heard rain pouring before hearing his own name being called.

"Yusuke…" Kurama whispered weakly. Yusuke turned his attention to him. He awaited further speaking, but Kurama merely pointed at the window of his room. The raven understood at once. From the window, Yusuke was able to see a horse-drawn carriage coming to their home. Though Yusuke could see it clearly, he knew that there was no way his friend could have.

"Do you want me to let them in? They probably want to tell us to give them money for the tax… Again."

Shaking his head, Kurama answered, "Our help is needed."

Yusuke chuckled. "Your help. I'm no good at healing."

He sat up in bed and removed the covers. Kurama knew he was going to be needed soon. The knocking on the door alerted them both that their guests had arrived. They quickly made their way to the door and opened it.

"Please help my husband! He's going to die!" a very distraught brunette young woman pleaded.

Kurama eyed Yusuke, noticing his surprise and frown all too clearly. His green eyes fixated on the young aristocratic woman, whom trembled upon noticing his eyes. With a sigh he nodded. "Who mentioned my name to you, Princess?" Kurama asked, not really interested.

The young woman seemed shocked that he knew who she was. "H-how did…"

"Give me a name, please," the redhead demanded, ignoring his assistant's ignorance and failing tongue.

"Oh… Well, her name was Genkai…" Was the answer that almost made Kurama's eyes widened.

"Bring your husband in," he replied after a moment's silence. The young princess did as ordered. Kurama sat on a chair and started the fireplace. He heard Yusuke helping the princess with her husband. 'They are not yet… That must make him a prince. And Genkai…" His thoughts were interrupted when he noticed the young prince.

Rugged good looks, yes. However his dull ruby eyes made him appear more like a wounded kitten than anything else. Kurama noticed the weariness of the eyes, the well-toned body, and the rosy lips. What he almost missed were the other two people with them.

"My name is Kazuma Kuwabara, the driver and protector of the royal family and Princess Keiko," the orange-haired man said to Kurama with a low bow.

Another young woman with aqua hair looked at him before introducing herself. "My name is Yukina, Hiei's sister." Without fail, Kurama noticed how alike both brother and sister looked.

"What is his illness?" the green-eyed healer asked impassively.

"We don't know. The healer Genkai died before she could diagnose his illness," Yukina answered, tears in her eyes. Her protector could only put his muscular arm around her and let her cry silently.

Kurama sighed heavily. "Do you have her research?" In no time notebooks of her research were produced and handed to him. The redhead nodded at the notebooks before placing them down on a table, without looking through them. "Tomorrow I will begin. For now, either return to your palace or stay here." And with that the redhead left to his room.

Kurama overheard Yusuke telling them how tired they both were after fighting demons. And to not worry about the prince. "Master Kurama will heal him in no time! He's been healing since he could read… I think that was at age two or something. Just stay for the night! I'll take the prince to the patient's room and you three can have the house next to ours."

Green eyes closed. He undressed in the dark, leaving no piece of cloth on him. Kurama could feel his rage building up, along with several other emotions. His body shuddered. He looked out he window and sighed.

Without hesitation he drew his eyes to the mirror next to him. In it he saw the tattoo that tarnished his body. The green, unnatural ink ran around his upper left arm, shoulder blade, and into his back. It wasn't at all a design, rather just a line that spiraled and twisted to fit the curves of his upper body that contained it.

He bit his lip, drawing blood out. "I vowed…" Kurama laid on his bed, body exposed to the darkness, and fell asleep.

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A/N: Many mysteries, ne? Should I continue? Thanks for reading! 


	2. Chapter 2

**Heritage: The Path **

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Chapter: Two**

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A/N: Thanks so much for the encouraging reviews! They were a great help in getting this second chapter up! Special thanks to my beta, Brokenshardofmyheart99! Enjoy!

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"Wake Up!" Kurama opened his eyes in a flash. And before Yusuke, the unfortunate soul that had to wake up the sleeping redhead, knew it he had a knife pointed at his throat. "Easy… Kurama, it's Yusuke." The knife slowly retreated back to under the pillow of the now-awake Kurama.

The green-eyed man yawned silently and looked at Yusuke. "Sorry," he said in a barely audible whisper. Yusuke nodded and handed him a robe.

"You slept with nothing on and now I have to look at your nude body. Thanks for the terrific view, Kurama!" Yusuke laughed at his sarcastic remark. He saw as Kurama put the robe on and left to get ready for the day.

The redhead walked over to their patients' room and entered. His eyes widened upon seeing a figure lying on the bed. Walking over to the bed, he become aware that it was the prince under his care that was occupying the bed. He slept with ease, making the atmosphere of the room more relaxing than it should be. With little care to what the risk might be, Kurama spread his arm and touched the prince's cheek. He felt the unusual warmth being emitted. Something inside of him felt relieved, and serenity settled down on his usually heavy heart.

"Kurama, I forgot to tell you!" The door to the room flew opened, revealing a disheveled looking Yusuke at the doorway. "Uh… I see you met the prince already. Sorry, but he had to be placed here since we have no other rooms. I guess that means we need to get another room to store our clothes and stuff, huh?"

Kurama nodded. "He can live with us sharing the room. It is his illness that will prove to be deadly…" he answered, but when he looked at Yusuke's frown, he added, "Unless my healing abilities prove to be useful." The redhead turned from the prince and Yusuke, going over to pick out his clothes for the day. Once he was done, he placed them on a table in the room that was next to another door. He entered the door and closed it. The room was dark, so he opened the only small window to let the sun in. Unlike most of the villagers, they had a bathroom inside their house. He used the water that Yusuke had brought in, and washed his face. Kurama finished getting washed up and exited the room. He noticed the door being closed, Yusuke no longer there, and the prince sitting up on the bed. Both looked at each other for a moment, before the prince stood up and rushed to the door. As rapid as his speed was, Kurama had beaten him to the door.

"You are in my care now, prince. Rest, and do not test my patience," Kurama spoke softly.

The young prince, to weak to argue, obeyed and got in bed. He looked up and spoke for the first time, "Who are you? Why am I here?" His voice was rough and dry. He cleared it several times before the redhead answered him.

"You are in my home. I am your healer, taking over for Genkai. My name is Kurama, and I will do the best I can to help you, prince," Kurama said in a monotone voice, almost as if he was used to saying those lines for a long time now. After seeing the prince calm down, he decided to proceed with his morning routine. He stripped and began to get dressed in his clean clothes.

All the time the healer was dressing, Hiei looked away. At first, he had mistaken the healer for a woman, as soon as he heard the voice he knew that it was indeed a male. Hiei was never shy around other men, even without his clothes, but for reasons still unknown to him he could not help but feel shy around this man. 'It's the look in his eyes. So aloof and cruel. Wonder what the hell happened to this guy,' he thought.

"How long?" Hiei snapped out of his thoughts. His eyes looked at a now-dressed healer in front of him.

"W-what?" Was his intelligent response.

Kurama sighed heavily. "How long have you had this illness?" He walked over to the prince and sat down next to him on a chair he brought along. He looked deeply into the young royal's eyes.

The prince was on edge. He never allowed anyone so near him, not even his family. Before he could speak about his problem, he began to shake uncontrollably. It was not from his illness, rather from having someone so close to him. "Move… Get away," he whispered to the redhead. From the corner of his eye he saw the healer scoot away.

"… I did not realize you had a problem with people being near you. Do not worry, I will not question why. We all have our secrets, right?" Kurama stood from his chair and walked over to the room's only window.

Hiei calmed his shaking and looked up at the healer. "I've had the illness for over a year. The old hag managed to ease the pain, but now the illness has gotten worse," Hiei paused, "There are times when I can't even breath without having an attack. My chest tightens, sometimes I cough up blood, I tend to go days without food or water, I sleep a lot, and my bones are fragile." The young prince stayed quiet for a long time after his explanation. He breathed in deeply and exhaled somewhat awkwardly.

The healer listened to all of the symptoms. He had come to no conclusion as of yet, most likely since he still had to review Genkai's notebooks. "There are more symptoms, I assume." The prince nodded. "After I study your old healer's research, I can attempt to find a cure for it. If she made something to ease it, then possibly she was close to a cure." Kurama sighed again. He felt weak after the fight with the demons. And he knew it was going to happen all over again. Their attacks had only increased since rescuing Yusuke from them.

"Do you wish to go outside, prince?" the redhead asked casually. The raven-haired prince nodded and made an attempt to get out of bed. He would have fallen to the floor had Kurama not caught him in his arms.

"You still need to get stronger before you can do anything yourself," the healer said.

"Hn. I can do things on my own!" the prince snapped. "And it annoys me when others refer to me as only "prince" or some other stupid name!"

Kurama nodded. "Then you can call me by my name too, Hiei," he said in a cold voice. He noticed Hiei's tensing when he spoke. 'Does he know?'

After struggling for a moment to get the prince on his back, the healer made his way outside. It was common knowledge that the outdoors made several of his patients feel better and made them forget about their health problems too. Kurama managed to grab hold of a chair on the way out. Once he was outside, he sat the prince down in the chair and stretched. Both looked on at the beautiful scenery that they saw. Both were very quiet, but they didn't dare break the comforting and awkward silence. It was not until thirty minutes into their silence that they saw three figures approaching them from their left. The princess, Kazuma Kuwabara, and Yukina came over to them. "Have you found out anything about my husband's condition?" Kurama saw Hiei look away and jump up a little when he heard what his fiancée had called him.

"Brother, how are you feeling?" Yukina asked as she gave her brother a gentle hug. Kazuma merely watched, not feeling comfortable to say anything.

Hiei let himself be comforted while Kurama turned to talk to the princess. "I have not started much yet. There is not anything that can be done right now. You see, I observed my patients first, then look at their medical history, and then work on a cure. It differs from other healers…"

The princess nodded. "All I want is for my husband to be well again." She took Kurama's hands in her and smiled. "Oh, how did you know that I was the princess of this land? I've never been allowed out of the palace without some sort of concealment."

The healer removed his hands from the princess and sighed, "It is time for me to start examining the prince." He moved past the princess and reached Hiei. "Time to go." Hiei nodded. Without waiting for the prince to say goodbye to his family and friends, the healer picked him up and walked inside. "Princess Keiko, will your parents not worry if you are not there with them?" Kurama questioned before closing the door on all three of them.

"Nice manners, Kurama," Yusuke scolded him. He had been previously watching his master's interaction with the others, but now had actually said something. "She is royalty, you know."

Kurama nodded. "Can you walk?" Yusuke was about to answer, until he noticed the question was directed to the prince.

"Of course! Set me down already," Hiei demanded.

Without warning, Kurama released Hiei from his grasp. The prince fell on his back and saw the slight smirk on the healer's face. Hiding the smirk, Kurama helped him up. "Phrase words carefully."

"Damn, Kurama. He's a fucking prince! How could you do the same thing to him that you did to me?" asked Yusuke.

Before a witty response left the redhead's lips he collapsed to his knees. "Ahh…" He clutched his left arm with a tight grasp. Soon he had Yusuke at his side. He saw through half-lidded eyes that the prince looked on helplessly. Afterwards, he felt Yusuke carry him away to a room. The rest was a blur to the healer.

Green eyes opened several hours later. He sat up with difficulty and clutched his left arm again. The pain was still there, though now it had diminished somewhat. The healer breathed heavily for a moment, while he adjusted to the pain. Within minutes, he had control over his breathing again. His eyes lingered on his arm, and the vicious mark that marred it. Kurama carefully traced the mark for a brief moment before lying back down in bed again.

"What does it mean?"

The redhead sat up immediately, causing his pain and discomfort to return. He shouted out in pain and forced himself to bite down on his lip to forget the pain of the mark. He didn't hear an apology from the prince, as he had expected. "What are you asking?" he asked, almost hissing it out from the pain.

Hiei was sitting on a chair, his eyes staring out the window. "I saw your tattoo. What does it mean?"

'Blunt… He has no modesty either. Probably acts childish due to his limited emotional capacity.' Kurama sighed. "The tattoo means nothing."

Hiei scoffed. "Like I actually wanted to know," he retorted. Both stayed quiet, avoiding looking at each other. "Night is coming."

The healer nodded. "You will have to stay inside all nights. Demons tend to attack you, even if you are royalty," the redhead said to Hiei.

"Obviously. Your assistant, he's a demon?"

Kurama shrugged. "You should ask him." He stood up and walked over to Hiei. The young prince looked to the window, trying his best to not look at the semi-naked man in front of him. To his surprise Kurama went past him and to the window. "I have a question for you…"

Hiei waited. "Spit it out!" he snapped.

"The illness that you have… You are not human, are you?" There was no time for a response. Hiei had jump on him and began to land a barrage of hits on the healer. The redhead did nothing to protect himself.

"Just what the hell are you implying?!"

Before another fist connected with him, Kurama took hold of Hiei's hand. He swung the prince's arm around and managed to place himself on top of the struggling prince. "Why else would Genkai be dead?"

Hiei's ruby eyes widened. He stopped his fidgeting and punches. "Y-you knew her?" The prince could not help but stutter in asking his question.

"Master Genkai was a woman that once loved a demon… If anyone can tell a demon from a human, it is her. I was fortunate enough to know her," he said, "There was no uncertainty that she still had at least twenty years to live when I last met her five years ago." Kurama leaned in closer to the prince. "She told me that she was going to go to another kingdom." The healer stared the prince right in the eye as he whispered, "Your kingdom, Hiei."

The prince remained silent. Kurama kept glaring at him. "Kurama, time to go! The demons will be coming in like… What the hell happened?" Yusuke asked. He saw how a shirtless Kurama was on top of the disheveled prince. "Should I even ask? I mean, there's nothing wrong about it. And if you two swing that way… Hey! Aren't you engaged to princess Keiko? And since when do you force yourself on other, Kurama?"

The healer sighed. "Nothing is wrong but your perverted mind. We need to go now, Yusuke." The raven-haired young man nodded. Kurama got off Hiei and got a shirt to cover himself. He walked to the door and looked back at Hiei, once Yusuke had left. "If you did kill her, Hiei, know that I will not seek revenge. However, as more than just a healer… I may ruin you." He exited the room and joined Yusuke.

Both men went outside and began yet another fight with the demons that sought to destroy them. From the window in Hiei's room, the young prince looked on as the battle intensified. He saw the assistant shooting off his energy into what seemed to be bullets, and using his brute strength to slay as many as he could. Kurama, on the other hand, was different. Despite his weakness against them, he never hesitated from moving forward and slaying all the demons he could. His arrows pierced every demon, none missed. The battle soon came to an end with both the healer and his assistant as the clear winners.

"We kicked demon ass!" Yusuke cheered as they came back inside the house. "Good thing the princess and her friends went back to the palace. I wouldn't want them to get hurt," he said to Kurama.

"Go and sleep, Yusuke. We will have to fight again tomorrow." Kurama saw his assistant go into his own room. Once he felt sure that Yusuke would not come out, he headed to Hiei's room. Without knocking on the door, he went inside. Rapidly noticing that the prince was no longer in the room, the healer headed for the window. He could see footprints on the dirt, going into the forest where the demons dwelled. "Hiei," he whispered with annoyance. He dashed out from the front door and headed in the direction the prince had left, cursing the prince's lack of knowledge.

He arrived at the entrance of the forest and looked in carefully. The moonlight was very dim, clouds masked the hidden dangers that dwelled in the darkness, and the menacing noises of the night made it more promising for the young prince to be dead.

'If I keep thinking of these dangers, it will only help the demons. I must only think of my misfortune, or else things will not go in my favor.' With the howling of the demons from inside the forest, Kurama went in.

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A/N: Finally finished! It took me three days to finish this chapter, so unusual. Well, I thought I should explain one little thing right now so no one ends up confused about it. Anytime Kurama mentions his misfortune or telling his enemies good luck or something, he does that to ensure that he does not fall on his own sword. If he were to say, "May good luck and safety befall me," then he would most likely kill himself accidentally or die by the hand of another. The reason for it will come up in a later chapter. So how many think Hiei killed Genkai? There are still plenty of more mysteries that will need answering. And so far neither of them really like each other. It might look like they do, but it's something else that draws them to one another. As for Yusuke, well, he does like someone. Thanks for reading! 


	3. Chapter 3

**Heritage: The Path **

**Chapter 3**

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A/N: Sorry for the long delay. Thank you all that have honored this story with reviews, story alerts, and adding it to your favorites. You're all so great and I deeply thank you all. And of course a thanks to my beta Brokenshardsofmyheart99, whom always has to deal with my lousy writing.

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Silent crying echoed through the forest. The redheaded man caught the sensation, and turned in the direction of it. Glancing behind him, he could see no one and hear no one as well. He turned back around and took three steps forward before coming to a halt. At once he felt something snake it's way to his chest, but the feeling went away quite soon, leaving him in bewilderment. 'If I am caught off-guard like this, then that pampered demon has no chance of survival in this enchanted forest,' thought Kurama. With an intake of breath he resumed his walking. The forest was odd in many ways. There were no animal sounds to be heard, only the movements of them. Demons blossomed in there as well, making it impossible for just about any other types of lives to prosper in there. Inspecting his surroundings once more, Kurama decided to increase his pace. He could feel eyes leering at him; waiting for the opportunity to consume him.

'Hiei could not have gotten far… Still, he is a demon.' His chest kept pulsing, a sign that not all was well with him. 'What is it? Why is my body aching?' Pausing on his walking, he took the chance to investigate the problem. With eagerness, his fingers tore through the cloth that covered his upper body and made it possible for him to see. A small purple mark became visible to his eyes in the darkness of the forest. He could see that any time his hand passed over it, it would glow a malicious violet light. 'This is a…' A shudder of pain swept him off his feet, knocking him with grace into a cold oblivion.

"About time you woke up." Green eyes opened, wincing at his discomfort. The voice did sound familiar to him, a little too familiar. Looking around, he spotted Hiei next to him, a long twig in his hand. Before the healer could ask about it, the prince answered. "I was stabbing you with it since I was lacking a sharp weapon. Like it? It's the latest in torture weapons." Kurama blinked and nodded. With ease he got up and turned to Hiei.

"How are you still alive?" The healer did not doubt the power that the prince might have, but to him it seemed incredible that anyone could survive the forest. He waited with patience while the prince threw the twig out of his hands and walked closer to him.

Hiei breathed in. "I know how to negotiate with lowly creatures," he replied. The redhead nodded and sighed. He could feel his body giving in into the stress that he underwent. Stress that would not have been caused if a certain prince had stayed inside. Turning to the semi-visible sky, he could see rays of light escaping the confinements of the tree branches. "You look like shit. Should we go back?" The healer nodded and both men headed back to the cabin.

The way back was uneventful. Nothing seemed peculiar, but Kurama still felt something wrong. It was always the minor things that often held more clues and meanings, and this was no exception. The healer stopped advancing and looked at Hiei. The prince felt the gaze and turned to face Kurama. "What's the matter? Aren't we going to go back?" Hiei asked.

Kurama shook his head. "Why did you run?" He didn't expect an answer from the impatient prince, but received one.

"Other demons were coming from the forest, and I was not going to put my sister in danger. Does that answer your question, healer?" Hiei narrowed his eyes and smirked at the redhead before turning and advancing to the secluded haven; Kurama soon joined him. To Kurama's surprise, they reached his home sooner than to what he was accustomed to. "It does not sound as if anyone is here… Where are they, healer?"

It became evident that Hiei was right, but Kurama had no idea as to where everyone could have gone. 'Yusuke, where are you?' The wind blew, gathering bronze leaves in an invisible thread, and carried them off. "Something is not right," he whispered to himself.

The ache on his chest returned. He felt it snake its way throughout the rest of his body, pulsing as if it were alive. It twisted and curved, wrapping him with the strength of what felt like chains. He stood until it became far too much for his malnourished body to carry, and collapsed. His breaths were coming up short and his vision was becoming hazy.

"What's wrong?" he heard Hiei ask. However, he was unable to respond and tell him that this might all be trap. 'His voice is calm, but why?' he asked himself, feeling the unseen chains pull his body tighter. In what felt like a second, he was able to see the prince pull out something from his boot. It glinted in the sunlight, and Kurama knew what it was. It was sharpened and filed to a perfect summit, that would soon be blemished with perfect crimson. Before he become conscious of it, the gleaming vanished and appeared again right before it grazed his left cheek.

A barrier prevented the dagger from doing any more harm, Kurama saw. Though the identity of his savior was still not yet known, he knew it could just be someone else that wanted to kill him as well. Hiei dropped the dagger and jumped to his feet, eyes looking everywhere with alarm. "Shit," he muttered. Before either he or Kurama had a chance to breathe, an arrow pierced Hiei through the chest. He staggered and coughed blood before lying on the ground, dead.

"Be thankful I was here in time to save your ass," his savior spoke. Even though the smugness in the voice was palpable, Kurama didn't mind. "Have you forgotten how to fight, little one?" asked the demon in front of him. Obsidian elongated hair pulled up, blue suggestive eyes, and strange wardrobe adorned his savior and friend.

As he was being helped up Kurama asked, "What are you doing here?" He shot a look at Hiei's body. "I fell into a trap," he stated.

"Nice observation. I'm guessing it's the mark on your chest, but I'm not an expert on these things. How have you been? Yusuke still with you? Don't look at me like that. I know you took him in." Kurama stared back, unable to process everything the demon had said.

"Kuronue," he whispered. Kurama felt Kuronue swathe his arms around him, embracing him. His calm breath fondled his cheek, and he felt his body go limp. "I'm looking for someone," he said to the demon.

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A/N: Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

**Heritage: The Path**

**Chapter 4**

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A/N: Thanks for the reviews and support, you guys! Special thanks to my beta Brokenshardsofmyheart99! And I'm sorry if there are any mistakes (more than usual) in this chapter. My glasses broke, and I'm practically blind. I apologize.

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Kuronue laughed. "It's obvious from seeing what went on here. Though, you should know that the little demon you're looking for is staring at us right now."

At an instant, Kurama turned his back on the demon and looked. Hiei was leaning against a tree, weariness forcing his eyes closed. There was not a mark on him; no blood, dried or fresh, either. Hiei had survived the night. "You protected him?" he asked Kuronue, who was grinning and trying to hide it.

The demon nodded. "He was safe by himself, but he smelled like you," the wide grin vanished, replaced by a smaller smile. "He's very adamant about being by himself, though. Took most of my strength to sedate him." He scowled.

Detaching himself from his friend, Kurama went over to the prince's side. He looked into his ajar eyes, almost with coyness. Kurama raised his hand and slapped Hiei, sending weariness away. The smaller demon appeared stunned at first, not moving, eyes wide. When some time went by, he sneered and stood up to face Kurama, with an air of supremacy. The actions went ignored by Kurama, who turned his attention back to his friend.

"You should thank him, Prince Hiei, he did protect you after all," he said, expecting Hiei to scoff and mention some petty excuse. However, the prince walked over to the winged-demon and muttered words of appreciation, then he smirked at Kurama. While the gratitude was mere mockery, it seemed that Kuronue didn't mind. Not that the demon ever accepted thankfulness or debts from any of the beings he rescued. At least that was the way he had often seen Kuronue act like.

When the somewhat awkward moment had left them, the winged-demon turned to Kurama. "So are we going to your humble home, Healer?" he asked, grinning, which showed off his sharp fangs. The dark wardrobe and fangs did fit Kuronue perfect, at least in Kurama's opinion. They seemed to contradict his personality in a way, yet tune in to his nature just fine.

He nodded and lead the way, making sure to not fall into anymore traps concocted by demons or humans seeking revenge. The walk to his sanctuary was tranquil is not awkward. Several times he and Hiei began a walking race that neither knew they had started until the need to pull up ahead of the other arouse. Though they were oblivious at first, Kuronue was not. He was aware of it and often walked faster in order to defeat them. Aside from the walking races, it seemed they tried to make as little talk and insulting as possible. To Kurama, it was childish, yet he could not stop himself from acting the same way. He supposed some part of him was enjoying what he never had as a child. The past clouded with blood and secrets… That's what he wanted to escape, what he guarded with his life, and what he tried to deny ever had occurred in his life.

When they arrived at the simple sanctuary, Kuronue had ran to the door, touching it with his palm. "I win!" he shouted with enjoyment. Kurama and Hiei exchanged a small glance at one another, trying to think and process of everything that had happened. Hiei grunted and turned his back on the winged-demon while Kurama nodded at Kuronue, congratulating him in his own way. "Are we standing out here to gaze at nature's beauty or are we going in to relax after all we've been though?" Kuronue asked, eyebrow raised, and fangs glistening as he grinned.

"Like you did much, you useless demon," Hiei muttered. The insult never reached Kuronue's ears, though. He had been too preoccupied with looking at the exterior of the home of his friend with morbid inquisitiveness.

Kurama shook his head, amused by his friend's antics. "He won't hear insults you know. Yours is not nearly vital enough for him to hear," he clarified to the irritated prince. Hiei opened his mouth to ask something, but he kept going, already sure of what the question would be. "An insult directed at him won't do. It has to be someone close to him that you insult for him to focus attention at you."

The prince didn't respond back at all. He kept quiet and walked to the front door, halted, and then opened the door to let himself in. "Is he a patient of yours, or a hopeful lover?" Kuronue purred into Kurama's ear.

"The first," he answered, stepping away from the demon. "And you? How have you been?" Kurama sat down on the grass, looking up at his friend who was joined him seconds later. He watched as Kuronue made himself comfortable, which meant he had to move a couple of times to avoid getting hit by accident.

Soon after, Kuronue answered. "Well, I finally got a mate," he replied, voice dry and weary. From the look on his face, Kurama figured that this was a sore and sensitive subject. "It's not that I'm being man-handled around or anything. You see, Healer, he's not too fond of you," the winged-demon explained. "Before you even think about it, it's not Yomi. The demon doesn't like, but he respects and loves you." He shook his head, allowing hair to obscure the view that Kurama had of his eyes. "My mate loathes you very much. You rejected his proposal for a bond, and he's never recovered from that. I only made him my mate so I could keep in check. There's no love between us, but that's fine." Kurama was about to speak, but Kuronue interrupted him. "Out of all the humans I've ever met, you've been the single one that has given a damn about me! I know it's your duty as a healer to do so, but you care about me and that's what matters!"

He nodded, it was all he could after hearing the adamant words his friend spoke. "Yes, I am bound to my oath as a healer, but…" He faced Kuronue and grasped his face with kindness. "Kuronue, you are my friend, and you have helped me so much that it'd be immoral for me to not help you." Feeling rather odd, Kurama decided to do something he had not done in a long while. As careful as possible, almost as if he were handling glass, he brought his friend to him and embraced him for a long time. "Leave him, Kuronue. I wish for your happiness only, nothing more. Karasu will never stop hunting me. And even though your bond will bind him, he will look for a loophole to go through to get to me." He felt Kuronue start to back away. "No!" Kuronue froze in his grasp. "I will hold him at bay. Grant me one wish, my friend, leave him and be free."

The embrace was broken by Kuronue. "I knew you'd say that, Kurama." His gaze went from Kurama to the grass that was beneath them. "I refuse to leave him. There's a code I must follow. Forgive me, but I will not listen to your request." Kurama felt something within him break; like a seal that no longer captivated a part of him. "It's my life right? Then I choose to use it as I please. Besides, he's the key to gaining something back, something that belongs to you."

A shuddery breath was released. His pulse quickened and he felt nauseous at once. "Karasu is the key to… How are you so sure about it?" There was a battle within him. One side wanted to seek out Karasu and regain what he had lost, but the other wanted to run away from there.

"He revealed it to me when I got the bastard drunk." It was a blatant truth, yet hard to grasp. From all the time he had known Karasu, which wasn't much, he never saw the demon drink alcohol at all. "Yomi's on the trail of the Traitor, just so you know. Kurama, we want to help you… Well, I doubt Karasu wants to, but he's my mate and will do as I say, so that doesn't matter. Still, we do want to help you since you have helped us so many times." He raised himself, dusted off, and stretched his hand out for Kurama to take. Without a thought, he took it and allowed himself to be embraced by his friend. "There are countless demons that owe you something, you know? I know there are risks for us helping you, but you've made plenty of sacrifices to bridge the gap between some demons and humans. Kurama, you deserve this. Allow us to take care of it."

Shaking his head, Kurama muttered, "Not if it means putting all of your lives at stake. I value your work and devotion, but I decline help." Before he could escape Kuronue's clutch, the demon lifted his chin up and forced their eyes to meet. To Kurama, there were no emotions that he saw within his friend's eyes.

The taller one leaned down, almost brushing their lips together. "It's not merely for you that we do this for… Kurama, you know that the Traitor will come back. And when he does, we need someone to help us fight against him. Who will come to our aid, to the human's aid?" Kuronue's eyes were so intense, that for the first time, he found himself wishing h could look away. "Demons and humans do not work together! They will never unite unless someone unites them!" The grasp on his face felt more like hot iron on his skin. It was getting worse, but he could not escape. "Kurama, you're the only one who can do this! You must help us all or else the Traitor will destroy all of his adversaries!" Minutes passed before Kuronue's hand dropped from his face.

The door to the small dwelling opened, revealing Yusuke. There was a smile on his face until he saw Kuronue standing next to him. "What fuck is he doing here? Kurama, you know you're supposed to tell me if there's a demon nearby! You're still too tired from dragging Hiei-- Prince Hiei, I mean, here!" Yusuke held Kurama's hand and dragged him away from the winged-demon, who was now smirking.

"Well, we meet again… What was your name again? Oh, I guess it doesn't matter," he goaded. As usual, Yusuke went on a punching barrage that was far too sluggish for Kuronue to bother with.

Deciding to step in, Kurama coughed. Yusuke stopped at once and turned to him, eyes filled with the same expression he's always had for him. "We should go in and eat." The brown-eyed half-demon understood, since he went in and ignored all of the taunting Kuronue did. "You missed him," Kurama stated.

"Not every day I get to see him, right?" Kuronue smiled. "He's grown so much. Tell me, has he found a mate yet or his pinning for you? I won't mind, honestly. You're better than Karasu or anyone other demon."

"Would you like the truth?" The demon nodded. "Yusuke is interested in a mortal, a human to be specific." From his vantage point, he saw Kuronue's eyes widen for a brief second. He knew that Kuronue's visit would strain the situation already on hand, but that was not all that he had in mind. The shadows his friend had mentioned, Kurama guessed, would come soon. It seemed that his last chance to break away from his past was over now. The one vital thing he fought against was coming for him, firm and rapid.

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A/N: Thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

**Heritage: The Path**

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Chapter 5

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A/N: Thanks for all the awesome and wonderful reviews! Special thanks to my beta, Brokenshardsofmyheart99!

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The burning within Kuronue's eyes had remained within his mind throughout the day. When his talk with his friend had been over, they had gone inside and prepared to eat and do whatever else was left. In Kurama's case, it was to take care of Hiei's minor injuries that he had acquired while in the forest. As he rubbed an ointment on the Prince's arm, he kept thinking back to Kuronue. There was a fair enough reason for him to abhor most humans, but it seemed that his dislike for them was further intensified once Kurama had told him about Yusuke's newfound love interest.

Part of him was lost in his thoughts and failed to see the amount of alcohol he had used in a rather deep wound. "Damn it! Are you even paying attention to what you're doing, Healer?" The Prince's voice took him out of his thoughts and brought him back to the task at hand.

Rather than answering with a verbal response, Kurama decided to just treat Hiei's wounds with his ability. Twilight was approaching and there would be little time to tend to minor scratches on someone who had been foolish enough to leave at night and get lost in the forest of the demons. As the wounds vanished from sight, he felt the Prince's eyes on him. Being intrigued by it, he looked up and saw Hiei looking away as soon as he had brought his head up. It was actions like these that made Kurama think that the Prince was more than peculiar.

"You are all healed," he uttered once the last cut was treated. Not waiting around to hear words of gratitude from Hiei's mouth, he got up and began to head for the door. When he opened the door, he paused. "Try not to go out again," he warned, voice low. With his back to the Prince, he was unable to see if Hiei had at all listened to him. After a pause, he heard Hiei grunt and settle down on his bed.

Accomplishing on thing from his list, he headed out the door, closing it when he was out. Kurama walked to the small living room and met with a sight he wished he had not. Both Yusuke an Kuronue were bleeding and panting. Knowing at once what had happened, he ignored them and went for his weapon. The bow and arrows were in perfect shape, but he did wish that his two comrades were as well. Yet, it was their responsibility to desist themselves from petty fights that offered no solution.

Kuronue spoke up first. "Looks like I win again, Yusuke." Rather than scolding the two, Kurama shot a look at them both. "Fine, we'll get along, but just for you," Kuronue said to him, grinning as if h had offered Kurama the answer to everything in life.

"Does he really need to be here?" asked Yusuke, arms crossed, not looking at the winged-demon. A nod at Yusuke's direction answered the question before they exited the haven and stepped outside. The night's air made them all shudder to some extent.

Gazing at the sky, Kurama realized that there was going to be a storm soon. The murky clouds made it difficult to see the silvery moon. Just as they were about to go near the forest, Kurama sensed something off. It wasn't near him, but rather back at the haven. "Yusuke, you and Kuronue will have to fend them off. I need to take care of a certain patient," he explained to the two demons.

Nodding, Yusuke said, "Sure, but just be careful." He could hear the anxiety in Yusuke's voice. The simple truth was that the half-demon had never fought aside long anyone else but him. A new partner in a situation like theirs could be lethal.

Before leaving, he managed to catch a glimpse of Kuronue placing a hand on Yusuke's shoulder and saying something to the half-demon. Whatever it had been that he had uttered, made him feel better. Redirecting his attention back to his patient, Kurama ran back to the haven. As soon as he had reached the door, the rain began to fall. Walking inside, he set his bow and arrows down on the floor where no one would step on them, and went to Hiei's room at once. Peering inside the room, he could see with difficulty the way the Prince breathed. It was erratic, and he knew he needed to act as fast as he could.

Removing the sheet and the top from the Prince, Kurama settled himself into his tranquil state. The concentration soon turned into energy, which he aimed at the lungs of the Prince in order to ease the breathing process for him. When he pressed his hands on the chest of his patient, he felt the heat radiating from him. To anyone it might have seemed that the heat was a result from fever, but Kurama knew better. The Prince did have demonic powers, which he had not used from the look of his condition, in a while. The energy that Hiei had was not low enough for him to control, so his body was using it against him.

Now knowing what had happened, Kurama decided to go about the treatment in another way. Raising the Prince's arm, he inspected the best place to make an incision. As soon as he had settled on one, he drew out a knife, made a swift movement, and watched as the blood came out. The blood soon stopped coming out as the cut began to heal. Rather than waiting for the opening to be gone, Kurama cleaned the blood and used the remaining opening that had yet to close to send his energy through. The technique worked more like a magnet, drawing Hiei's unstable power out, but leaving him with enough so he would not die.

The next step was the crucial part. Drawing out and gathering the energy out was simple enough, but storing the energy was another thing. Not knowing what to do, Kurama began to lose some control over the energy. It began to make small cuts in his hands. Just as he was going to intake the energy, despite the costs, he was stopped by the loud explosion he heard from outside. The energy in his hands escaped from his concentration and made its way into him. His body could feel the burning of the power, almost like acid running through his veins. If he had been able to consume it when he had a hold of it, then it would've hurt less then it did now. However, the consequences would remain the same.

Dropping to his knees, he released a pain-filled scream that he was sure was nothing compared to the sounds of the thunder and the explosions outside. Kurama wanted it to be over, he couldn't handle all the pain he felt. He struggled to get to his knees, but it he succeeded. Noticing the knife he had used on Hiei earlier on, he moved his hand to grasp it. Just as he had gotten a hold of it, he tried to make move it to his neck, but couldn't. The hand on his arm wouldn't let him.

"Not yet. I still need you."

Rather than being delighted to have heard words like that, Kurama began to feel the need for knife even more. No matter how hard he tugged the knife in his toward him, the person pulled it back. It seemed that person had grown weary of their game, since he had taken a hold of the knife and threw it far from Kurama's reach.

"If you wish to die that badly, you should've gone with your two friends outside. I'm certain you heard the explosions, correct? Well, Kurama, it seems that you're alone now. No one there to help you… No one to make the pain go away by helping you take your life… Just me…"

He was tugged to face his subjugator. Despite the immense amount of pain that he still felt, he forced himself to not look so pathetic. "I knew… you would… return," he hissed through labored breaths. The person in front of him smirked and raised him up. Kurama's feet no longer touched the floor. "Why?" he asked.

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A/N: Sorry for the short chapter.


	6. Chapter 6

**Heritage: The Path**

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Chapter 6

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A/N: Special thanks to Brokenshardsofmyheart99, who would've checked this if there had been time. Thank you for the lovely reviews! (Sorry for the short chapter. It's a filler chapter.)

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Opening his eyes, he saw the morning's light entering through the window. As he sat up, he became aware of someone next to him. Looking over at the other side of the bed, he smiled. Stroking the man's hair, he kissed him, waking him up.

The man groaned, but welcomed the kiss. "You're up already, Kurama? It's too early, you know," he muttered, attempting to go back to sleep.

"So you don't want to have sex with me?" he pouted, stroking Hiei's hair. "Might as well go find someone else," he said, ceasing the stroking and getting up. As he was about to leave the bed, Hiei seized his wrist and brought him back.

Yawning, he shook his head. "You're too demanding, Kurama." Blinking, it seemed that Hiei had realized the opening he had given him, for he added more to what he had said. "Not that I can't keep up. We must have more sex than anyone on earth."

Smiling, Kurama shrugged. "No, I'm certain we don't. I love you, that's why I insist on keeping you close to me. And making love is just my way of telling you how much I need you."

Kurama nestled his head on Hiei's chest. Looking into his eyes, Kurama kissed Hiei's skin. Grasping his chin, Hiei placed his lips on Kurama's. They began to place kisses on one another.

Slipping away from him, Hiei got off from the bed. "The way you kiss… It's different," he said, looking at him.

Lowering his head, Kurama nodded. "I'm not certain what is bothering me. There's a peculiar hold on my body. It feels as if I'm underwater, but I'm not."

"You might be hiding something. Or your body is, Kurama, which would make more sense, don't you think?" Hiei embraced him.

The hands on Kurama's back felt cold. There was something odd about it, but he didn't know what. Closing his eyes, he felt himself grow weary. "Hiei, I need to sleep," he whispered.

"What are you hiding?" Hiei asked, his grasp tightening. "Why can't I get through? Kurama, please, let me in," he hissed.

The tone caused him push Hiei away. Before he could do anything else, his eyes closed. "No," he muttered before falling asleep.

Taking in a deep breath, he opened his eyes and met with a most undesirable sight. As he was going to open his mouth, pain erupted from within his body, sending a shock that made him shout. The man in front of him appeared to be pleased and livid. Gritting his teeth, Kurama spoke. "Why have you come here? Is it because…" More pain shot out, causing him to grit his teeth more.

The male grinned with delight. "I never did tell you, right? The first reason would be for who you used to be, Kurama." His name was spoken with a purr, he noticed. Though he had no idea why since he knew of one sole reason for having this particular visitor come. "The second… You do still have Hiei with you?"

Confused by the question, Kurama shifted his body to look at the bed where Hiei had been. Seeing it empty now raised several questions in his mind. If Hiei had managed to escape, then he might still have a chance at winning. As he turned back to his captor, he scowled. It seemed that male noticed scowl since he smirked. Closing his eyes for a brief moment, he tried with all of his strength to control Hiei's vast amount of energy within him.

He failed.


End file.
